Tesla’s Holiday Update Is Out And It Highlights The New ‘Boombox’ Experience

The latest Tesla firmware update went live on Christmas Day and the software bump is mostly about new visual treats, additional fun games, and possibly an improved user experience. The over-the-air holiday update is labeled 2020.48.25 and seemed to highlight a sound effect designed for all Tesla vehicles.

Tesla said Boombox is intended to be a crowd-pleaser by playing amusing sounds delivered with the new firmware or personalized sound clips picked by users. The feature will work best with Tesla EVs that came with an external speaker, meaning the upgrade is for the most recent releases.

On Twitter, Elon Musk announced that the software update will allow users to customize their horn sound and the available effects include a goat, applause, or a fart. Users can also opt to load up to five sound clips of their choice via and this will play right after the original Tesla horn sound.

Boombox will allow the blaring of sound effects when a Tesla is moving, being parked, or in Summon mode. The new feature is certainly a welcome one but how cool it would be is somewhat relative. For Tesla EV owners, CNET said the new function should be entertaining - another way of showing off their smart electric car.

But for those outside of a Tesla Model Y, for instance, the sound effects could prove annoying, and this is true for pedestrians and motorists alike. On this aspect, Tesla did advise that the use of Boombox in public places should be in line with existing local laws.

As expected, the firmware delivery was also packed with more substantial feature enhancements. The driving visualization just got better as drivers can now see greater details of the road surroundings, and Tesla said the upgrade supports the Full Self-Driving (FSD) functions.

To be clear, however, FSD is still in beta release so fully appreciating the feature upgrade will have to wait until the wider release becomes a reality. Musk said FSD remains a work in progress but the Tesla CEO insisted that autonomous driving will only get better in the months to come.

Two more notable upgrades that came with the firmware rollout includes Scheduled Departure and Supercharger Display. According to Electrek, the former allows users to optimize their battery and cabin to get the most energy and at a reduced cost.

The latter, on the other hand, gives users a real-time list of available Supercharging stations within a given area. The add-on service will allow for advanced planning when taking on a road trip using a Tesla vehicle.